Scaling the Rooftops

Twice in one day! Back again with another layout that I very nearly forgot to post! I created this colourful layout earlier in the month to take part in Bo Bunny's Sketch Challenge.

The image inspiration really got my creative juices flowing. I loved the roof tops and the colours and as one of my resolutions is to scrap some of my older holiday photos I dug out this one of a little pub in Stonehaven, Scotland where we stopped on a car tour of the Highlands. Here we had one of our favourite lunchtime dishes - Cullen Skink - a traditional creamy haddock and potato soup. Doesn't sound that good, but honestly, don't knock it until you've tried it ha! ha!

Anyway, the little pub had an unusual shaped, crenelated roof and I thought this pic would be great as the focal point for the layout. I also tried to stick to the colour scheme of the image and even punched an angled border to imitate the roof tops. I used one of the larger Bo Bunny journalling spots to take the place of the moon in the original image which provided a great place to highlight my title. I dug out lots of my Bo Bunny scraps from the Persuasion, Vicki B, and Learning Curve collections and the black and white dotty background was from the early Unforgettable collection. Anyway, I loved everything about this challenge - the colours, the image and the angles, the fact that I have scrapped an old photo that I perhaps might not have scrapped - and of course, working with Bo Bunny papers! I was so inspired by this challenge, I just can't believe I nearly forgot to post it! Why not pop over to Bo Bunny's blog - you've still got time to join in with the challenge! Thanks for looking! Karen x

Scrapology Recycling!

Morning Everyone! Over on the Scrapology blog this month the challenge is to make a card using recycled or natural items.

I decided to raid my Christmas present wrappings for inspiration and go with a natural theme in green and brown colours. First I used some of the paper that had wrapped breakable items and made a flower - spritzing each layer with glimmer mists before adding a brad to hold them all together before finishing with a blob of Stickles for the centre. One flower is nice but two are better so I created a second flower in the same way using some old book pages from a paperback that I had ready for the charity bag.(see close up.)

The background used a layer of gold wrapping paper to matt my canvas print paper before I added a piece of bubble wrap that I had coloured using alcohol inks. One of my parcels was wrapped in brown paper and twine type string so I used the brown paper to create leaves - coloured with Distress inks - and the twine to add a border and to attach my sentiment.I also punched a branch border to go with the natural theme from my gold wrapping paper. Hope you like my take on this fun challenge - why not pop over to the blog and join in - it runs until the 15th of January so you have plenty of time to get your thinking caps on and you could win this fab prize!

Bye for now Karen x

German Decorations - Saturday Sketch Week 2

Hi All! I've been playing again with my Kaisercraft goodies and one of my favourite photos of the traditional wooden decorations that we saw at the Berlin Christmas Markets. I followed the Saturday Sketch Week 2 Challenge over on the Kaisercraft blog and used the Turtledove papers.

Don't get me wrong - I love glitter - but I also like the grungy look of these papers and how they look without glitter, so I stuck to a muted look - just adding embossed heritage gold cardstock and Kaisercraft rhinestones - which I used in a strip and cut into single gems. The aim was to add lots of layers and various Martha Stewart punched borders - Vine, Cherish and Scroll punches.The background paper was inked with Old Paper Distress ink and over stamped with the Kaisercraft musical notes stamp - this is very subtle and probably hard to see on scene but in real life you can see it! Honestly! LOL! I hope you can see some of the detail on these close ups!

Anyway, hope you like my take on the challenge. Best wishes and bye for now Karen x

Brothers in Arms - Merly Impressions Challenge

Hi All. I've recently got back into crafting after a short break and am once again drawn to Kaisercraft papers.

Over on the Merly Impressions blog there is a great challenge this month called 'Get Stripped' - which is to use strips of paper in a creative way to make a layout.

I didn't have many of the advertising strips that are at the bottom of Kaisercraft's papers so I had to come up with an alternative. I'd recently bought the Turtledove paper pack at our local garden centre and in the front of the packet was an advertising sheet which showed all the papers inside, photographed in miniature. So I cut this into strips, restuck them together on a piece of scrap paper and then cut them into squares to create a stripy, patchwork layout.

As the Turtledove patterns were now in miniature, you couldn't necessarily see that they were Christmas themed but the colours were perfect for a vintage themed page. I used an image of my great uncles in the military uniform during the First World War and included a hidden piece of journalling on a pull out tag where the date is.

I hope you like this idea - its really thrifty and allows you to get the most out of your kits and packaging whilst still having the benefit of the lovely Kaisercraft colours and designs. Thanks for looking! Why not come up with your own recycling ideas and pop over to the Merly Impressions blog and join the challenge. Bye for now Karen x

Poinsettia Pals Saturday Sketch December 2012 #3

Evening Everyone! Recently, my friend and I went to our local garden centre for a coffee, to look at the new Christmas decoratios and, of course, to visit the onsite craft shop. During our visit we treated ourselves to some of the lovely Kaisercraft Turtledove collection. As a result I've been busy making cards and layouts and this layout is one I made to commemorate our trip and our friendship.

The sketch I've followed and would like to enter it into is Kaisercraft's Saturday Sketch December 2012 #3. Everything used is a Kaisercraft product - including the lovely flat back pearls - the only addition is the base paper which is an embossed pearlesant 12x12 coffee coloured piece of cardstock. I've also added twill ribbon and Card Candi , and mounted various pieces on foam tape to add dimension - it is such a dark and rainy evening here tonight so my photography is not great but I wanted to post this before the 'Christmas rush' begins! At the garden centre were rows and rows of poinsettias so I've tried to include a flowery feel not only in the Turtledove sticker but also in the border punched edge and also the die cut flower sprigs.(Martha Stewart punch and Memory Box Honey Blossom die.) This is a really beautiful collection with rich muted colours and fab Christmassy images. I'm hooked - so you may be seeing a few more of my creations using these papers in my forthcoming posts! Anyway, hope you like it! Bye for now Karen x

Happy Mouse

Hi All! Over at the Papertake Weekly Challenge this week - the task is to pick your favourite challenge of the last 12 months and make a new card. I chose 'Cute Cute Cute' and made this birthday card using a mouse image from Karen's Doodles and lovely Bo Bunny papers. I love a green and brown combo - and you can't go wrong with glitter, gems and Maya Road ribbon too! Hope you like it! Bye for now Karen x

I'm Back!

Hi All! I'm back after a long break away and busy period at work! I'm really looking forward to sharing some of my crafty makes with you again so have included two links below to two new videos I've added to Youtube. (I made the Christmas Rosette video a while back when Christmas seemed a long way off! LOL) Hope you like them! Bye for now Karen x